Château Musar is always one of the fine wine world’s most distinctive and unique bottlings: something you realise from the moment you bring the glass close to your nose. With notes of dried cherries and mature red fruits, and so much exotic spice, it’s a hedonistic, opulent bouquet. The palate is structured yet fine, with grippy, grainy tannins that coat the mouth, and a fine thread of vibrant acidity. Yet again, this is a delicious wine, from this legendary Lebanese producer.

Tasted April 2022. More Cabernet was included this year than ever before, with 85% of the blend, with the only other years getting close being 2010 and 2019. This is refreshing and classic, it feels like the vintage really suits the style at Grand-Puy-Lacoste. There's a savoury, licquorice element, a core of dark berry fruit and a mineral-driven finish. 13%.

Tasted April 2022. An incredible shift has taken place at Troplong-Mondot in the past few years, with the new management seeking fresher, elegant, more appetising wines. The 2021 is a triumph, with dense black fruit and crunchier red fruit flavours, and a savoury, herbal lift from Cabernet Franc. For the first time since 1999 it comes in under 14% alcohol. This balance and elegance carries the wine through to a long, savoury finish. 13.5%.

Tasted April 2022. Concentrated and powerful, but still showing the characteristic freshness of the vintage. There's a mixture of ripe black fruit and crunchier red fruits, with a juiciness on the palate which broadens out into a long finish. The structural elements of the wine are tightly wound, but this has the potential to be fantastic with time in bottle. Tannins are ripe and bold at present. There's some lighter, herbal character and aromatics from 30% Cabernet Franc in the blend. 14%.

The 2021 vintage of Contino Viña del Olivo is a classically styled blend based on Tempranillo that also includes 15% Graciano and 5% Mazuela. Sourced from a single plot, it’s extremely expressive and representative of the terroir – only the best clusters from the Olivo plot are included. Harmoniously perfumed with blueberry and spice, this wine is the perfect juxtaposition of intensity and freshness. Superb.